Pioneer Country

Organisation and other stuff

2011-02-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

I have recently been inspired by Sarah over at A Mother's Heart to get my home organised and decluttered. I started last year in a bid to bring organisation into our home but, to be honest, my intentions fell pretty flat. I think my ideas were rather too complicated and 'high-faluting' (sp) as they say. So I have decided to go back to basics. I have printed and laminated a chore chart, which details all the basic jobs to be done in each room of the house, with a tick box and a place to date the task. Hopefully this will help me to cover everything which needs doing, and the dates will help me to

casually rotate the tasks.

Also, I have added a to do list, giving myself reachable goals for each day. One of our major problems is piling up papers, as you see here, so that was top of today's to do list. Hopefully, with small manageable goals for each day, I can really get on top of this chronic disorganisation. You'll see that I've also designed a menu sheet. Only half of it is shown here; the other half is separated into the different food types (eg vegetables, bread, storecupboard items, dairy etc) so that as I am writing my menu I can also write my shopping list, and then when I am done I just cut off the list half and take it with me to the supermarket.

I've also spent some time today making Soule Mama's laundry powder. I usually use soapnuts but have to admit that whites often need a little more. The SM recipe is great and has brought my whites up lovely. I use Dr Bronner's soap, which I purchase from Ebay, and have no shortage of willing volunteers to grate it - lol. Speaking of soapnuts, I boiled some up to use as multipurpose cleaner today. A handful of soapnuts to four cupfuls of water and boil for 20 mins. I actually boiled them twice to see what would happen and must say that the second batch seemed to be fine; I've put that in a handwash dispenser for grubby little hands.

After much anticipation my long awaited diswasher arrived at the weekend and I have been happily avoiding washing up ever since. I do wash my pans by hand but it is sooooooo much less time consuming than previously. Praise the Lord for dishwashers!!

Lastly I just want to post some piccies of my little man on his feet. He is nine months old and walking around the furniture. Oh joy. But such a cutie!!!!

My Weight Loss Plan

2011-02-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired by Amanda over at Christian Homemaking to blog about my weight loss programme. I am hugely overweight at this time in my life. I weigh 15 stone and 12 pounds as of last Saturday, and my goal weight is 10 stone. That is a massive 5 stone, 12 pounds to lose. So,... where to start?

I am following the Slimming World food combining plan, using second hand resources bought from Ebay. I can't afford to attend a weekly slimming club so this is the next best thing for me. I find the diet fairly easy to stick to as you can eat quite a lot so I am never hungry.

In addition to my eating plan, I am also doing daily exercise. I am using a combination of Wii Active, Wii Fit and Rosemary Conley dvds to achieve my goal of half an hour daily, excluding Sunday. I don't often feel like getting up in the morning to do it but I force myself and always feel the better for it. After three weeks I can already feel the difference. I have lost 11lbs and feel more toned and much fitter. I am also going to keep a track of my waist measurement as I think this will be a good guide as to how I am doing; my middle is definitely my problem area.

The challenge in all of this is to keep first things first. Why do I want to lose weight? To be fit and healthy and therefore more able to serve my family. And to keep a youthful physique for my hubby. Please pray for me that I can keep my weightloss focused on these motivations. It is too easy for me to use my body to gain attention, or engage in a one-upmanship with other women due to a lack of self esteem. I think the most important thing, through all of it, is to pay as much (probably more) attention to my soul as my body. It is of no use being super fit on the outside when one is inwardly waning away due to lack of exercise of the spiritual muscles. Jesus speaks of such people as like 'whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside bu on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.' Matthew 23:27 God has to be God in my life; no diet or fitness programme can ever take his place. And my sanctification is worth more than shedding a few pounds. So, yes, I am determined to achieve my goals, but they extend much farther than the weighing scales.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3: 14 NLT

Husband Appreciation

2011-02-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

I am currently partaking in Revive Our Hearts' 30 Husband Appreciation Study. Recently some things have occured in my online community which bring home the startling reality of what an awesome bloke I married. It shouldn't therefore be that hard to appreciate my lovely man, and yet, how often do I take him for granted?! One of the tasks on my Husband Appreciation Study is to publically state my appreciation for him. And what better place to do that than here.

I appreciate my lovely Phil because (in no particular order):

He is easy on the eye (shallow but true - in my eyes anyway)

He is an awesome provider and works sooo hard for his family

He always puts us first; he almost never buys anything for himself but makes sure that we are all okay

He loves me wholeheartedly and without condition

He loves God more

He is our spiritual leader and leads us in Bible time and prayer every evening

He is a great dad

He married a size ten and ended up with a significantly larger lady; but he doesn't care (I do though and am on a weight loss plan - you'll hear more about that in forthcoming posts)

He is really good fun and always makes me laugh

He has amazing integrity

He loves my cooking

He is happy to live in a house filled with floral fabrics and crocheted throws

He likes simple pleasures

He likes animals

He is kind and generous

He compliments me, both to me and to others

He ensures that the children respect me

He would lay down his life for me or any of the children

He is physically tender and caring

He encourages my creativity and homemaking

I could go on.....

No-one is perfect and Phil has his flaws, just like everyone else but I truly believe that he is my soul mate and that God brought us together. Although I value opportunities to let dh know how much I appreciate him, the most important thing that I can do for him as his wife is not to appreciate him but to pray for him. I believe that prayer changes everything. We've not always had such a good relationship as we have now, but through prayer and commitment we have come through. God is a great redeemer and I believe that all things are possible through him. I have a great husband but, more importantly, I have a great saviour. Great husbands might be a bit thin on the ground sometimes, but our Saviour is forever with us. Fully reliable and always available. What a man!!!!

I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5

More craftiness

2011-01-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

Here is Eli modelling my gift for a friend's baby shower. It's not that I'd like a baby girl so much I've started dressing him like one. This bib was soooooo easy to make. It's basically a triangle 17" x 12" x 12" backed with fleece, velcro tabs added. And I think it looks rather cool, or at least it will on a girl. Lol

Just a Few Crafty Pics

2011-01-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

Just so you know what I've been up to recently. Here are some of my craft projects of late. I've made new blinds and curtains for the dining room, which I love!!! I know they're not everyone's cup of tea but I am such a girl when it comes to soft furnishings. Good job dh is of the 'whatever you like' opinion in this area. Lol. I've also started a hexagon patchwork and a round crocheted cushion cover. More pics as they progress.

Jo x

Happy New Year

2011-01-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Given that I've temporarily disabled my Facebook account, to have a bit of time out, I thought I'd better let you all know I'm still alive and keep you up to date with some of the happenings of our life.
I am delighted to be in a new year. December was a non-starter in the Jo's Boys household as we had three bouts of chicken pox one after the other, interspersed with some horrible flu like virus, and a bad case of being thoroughly snowed in. The consequence of this was that I and the children went slightly stir crazy. We also did lots of crafting and baking, the latter having serious effects on my hips. Christmas itself was quiet but lovely. My militarily planned meal a la Sarah Raven came off beautifully (although I was rather stressed on Christmas eve) and we enjoyed spending time together as a family.
My new years resolutions are many. I NEED to be more positive, to soak my life in the promises of scripture and to stand on them regardless. I also NEED to lose weight. I have decided that in terms of HE we are going back to basics, and will be focussing on the three Rs regardless of what else we achieve. This has so far met with some reluctance from the small people but they are being persuaded by the witholding of certain technological items if work isn't completed. DS1 didn't complete his written work today until after lunch, but he did perservere in the end, and perseverence is a great character trait to learn, I believe. I know that on this point we will be criticised by many HE friends who advocate self directed learning. I understand where you are coming from but, for the moment, this is the path we have chosen. The boys still get plenty of self directed time - far more than if they were at school, and I am happy with the fact that their literacy and numeracy skills are developing.
We hope that the Wii I purchased with my Christmas and birthday money will be delivered this week, and that it will provide further incentive to my reluctant writers. As if by providence, a church family we know has upgraded their widescreen tv to a digital and given it to us. So we'll actually be able to see what we are doing on the Wii. Lol.
Anyway, enough for now. Hopefully I will find my camera soon and produce some piccies.
Happy new year everyone.
Jo x

Our Family

2010-09-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Some Photos

2010-09-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

I've done a couple of wordy posts recently so I thought I'd add some pictures into the mix. Enjoy.

Throwing a Sickie

2010-09-11T03:08:00.000-07:00

Well today I am unwell so I am in bed, snuggled under my lovely Cath Kidston duvet cover (I very cleverly bought one years ago in Ikea when the lovely lady wasn't so popular - I have good taste you see, lol) baby happily gurgling beside me, kids playing in their rooms across the landing (Indiana Jones is being evangelised by my 5 yr old as apparently he's much too fond of those stupid idols, lol) and dh holding the fort downstairs. Now that I am no longer vomiting incessantly (sorry tmi) I have a cup of tea on the bedside table and I am surfin', surfin', surfin'. I am slightly disappointed as I should have been meeting with friends for a sewing morning today, BUT reading blogs and finding online crafting sites is almost as good,... almost. Anyway, I thought that it might be nice to share some of my findings, thoughts and musings. So here goes.

I really like this free online magazine, Rhythm of the Home
http://rhythmofthehome.com/
I particularly like the fleece baby bootees in the Warmth section; would love to make these for Li-Li if I get the time. Also, it's given me the inspiration to start to live more seasonally again. Last year we had a lovely season table and did lots of seasonal crafts and activities; with the baby coming, however, we seem to have ground to rather a halt. Our summer season table has been a rather pathetic offering of some colourful bunting draped around our season tree ( a branch set in air drying clay in a vase). Am definitely going to get into the autumn spirit now.

Jackie over at Hedgerow Ways posted a couple of lovely links this week. The first was Farmama. Wow this lady farmer/farmer's wife is so awesome. Her veggie growing/ preserving and crafting is so inspiring. Loving her log cabin quilt. The site which has really inspired me, though, is Plain and Joyful Living and it's ideas for Handmade Holidays. I made lots of my Christmas presents last year and had intended to do one or two a month this year to avoid the last minute mad rush. Hmmmm, then I had a baby. So I must get started soon in order to avoid pointless novelty gifts from the high street. There are lots of gift ideas on the blog but the idea I like the best is to have a Handmade Holidays notebook. You can find out about it here.
I am definitely going to start one. I have found lots of gift ideas on Wee Folk Art which are lovely.

Anyway, the baby is now nursing, and I seem to have grown a nine year old boy on my elbow.

Blessings to you all.
Jo

An Award

2010-09-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

The lovely Jackie at Hedgerow Ways and Fireside Days has given me an award. Something about being versatile, which is nice. Anyway, now I have to tell you seven things about myself. So here goes.

1) I love curry. Vegetable Biryani is my absolute fave and when I was pregnant, Phil only had to ring the local curry house and ask for 'the usual' as I ate it so often. They had a buy one main course and get one free offer on and we really did take advantage of it.
2) My favourite ever book (apart from the Bible, obviously) is Anne of Green Gables. As a younger person I actually died my hair red because I wanted to be Anne so much. How sad is that?! If I had money I would be one of those eccentric ladies who collect Anne memorabilia; there are, I have found, many websites out there which sell such wonderous items. Ooh, I'd just love an Anne doll. If I am ill I eat tomato soup on the sofa, snuggled under my duvet and watch all my Anne videos one after the other; it cheers me up no end. This is by far my saddest online admission ever.
3) My house is sooooooooo untidy but I am trying to overcome it with planning and organisation. Lol.
4) I love cheesy low brow tv such as 'Four Weddings' and 'Come Dine with Me'. When you are the type of person who would happily buy an 'Anne' doll, other people's lives are very interesting. Lol.
5) I love to sing. I make everything into a song, particularly with the little people in my family. We have a nappy changing song, a tidying song, an I love you song,... it goes on. My older children hate my singing and think I'm bonkers.
6) I love museums and art galleries. My favourites are The National Gallery and The Museum of London. I once got shushed in the Courtald Gallery for enthusing over a lovely impressionist painting too enthusiastically to my then 2 year old.
7) I am a secret Royalist and will have a party with Union Jacks, jelly and ice-cream when Will and Kate wed.

That's it. Seven things about me.
I pass this blog award on to:
Leah at Homegrown Babies
A very versatile lady who is always striving to know God more and 'walk the talk'.
Sarah at A Mother's Heart
Another Godly girl who is forever seeking to hone her family life for God's glory.
Claire at Now We are Six
Claire is very versatile and is always learning new crafts and astounding me with how quickly and competently she picks them up.

Homemaking for Dummies

2010-08-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have a deep desire to be a homemaking goddess in the non-heretical kind of way. I love home decorating, love cooking, even love cleaning. I just need to somehow get it all together and become a domestic diva with a house which wouldn't look out of place in Country Living. That is the hard part. I do try. I hardly ever sit down. I am busy, busy, busy. I cook, I clean, I do all kind of homemakingey type jobs,... all to no avail. At this current moment I have given in. The washing up is piled in the sink, the floor is covered in crumbs and I am way too tired to care. All week I've stayed up until after 11pm tidying and cleaning so that when we rise the next day we will go downstairs to a haven of cleanliness and orderliness. Tonight, however, the energy has escaped me and I just can't be bothered.

In a bid to overcome this situation occuring on a regular basis, I am trying hard to get organised. I have bought myself a lovely pink binder which will become my 'Home Management Binder'. So far it has a calendar to the end of the year, a weekly planner, a home ed planning section and a recipe and meal planning section. I am working on the chores section and have laminated some chore cards for the boys which will live in map cases I purchased from Poundland. They have an opaque section and a transparent section. Each child will have a selection of chore cards in the opaque section and I will bring forward the cards for each day into the transparent section. I am paying them in beans, which will then be traded in at the rate of 1p each. I am hoping that this will alleviate some of my jobs and help the house run more smoothly.

The thing I am really enjoying is getting back to the meal planning. I am currently using the More with Less Cookbook which is a frugal cookbook produced by a group of Mennonite Christians. I have to say that I am loving it. All the recipes are super simple yet delicious and nutritious. Even the boys have eaten them without too much complaining.

I am also dreaming of revamping my dining/family room and have purchased a lovely green and white spotty oilcloth to protect my table as inspiration. I am going for a Cath Kidston meets attic 24 look. All girly and floral but bright and cheerful too. It is all a long way off, but at least I can dream. In the meantime, I am crocheting a granny stripe blanket to cover some of the felt pen marks on my lovely Laura Ashley sofa.

I grew up in a fairly chaotic single parent home. It wasn't my mum's fault; she worked all hours to provide, but it was pretty bleak at times nevertheless. Consequently, I am determined to provide a different experience for my boys. It is very difficult because of my lack of previous experience BUT I know that it is very important and that "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" Philippians 4:13. By his grace I will succeed; if you have a moment, please pray for me and those like me, who are pioneers in this strange but wonderful country.

New Title

2010-07-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

So I've given my blog a new title. I decided that it more aptly described what I want to do with this blog than 'Jo's Boys'. The blog will continue to be about my boys, with photos for all you lovely rellies and friends who call in to see how we are getting on. However, I really want to focus on the joys and difficulties of being a first generation Christian mother. I have not had an easy past. I did not know God until I was in my early twenties and my life previous to that time was far from Godly. This has left me with many issues and struggles as I walk with faith the path God has given me in raising my mighty boys of God. I am a pioneer. The landscape is unfamiliar, and sometimes even dangerous. Our journey is tiring and full of apprehension. And yet there is hope. Our God is the great redeemer. Wisdom and understanding is bountiful in his word. His spirit guides and helps us. What an adventure. I hope you will share it with us.

Ed is always ready for an adventure.

Days of Elijah

2010-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Baby Elijah Wesley was born on 2nd May @ 3-06am weighing 8lbs 5.5oz.

Honest Scrap Awards - did I give you one?!

2010-04-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

The lovely Leah at Homegrown Babies has given me a lovely Honest Scrap award. The rules of this are that I have to share 10 honest things about myself and then pass the award on to 10 other bloggers.

So here goes with the honesty.

1. I didn't really enjoy my childhood. There are a hundred reasons why, which I won't go into, but the result of it is that mothering sometimes comes as something of a challenge to me.

2. Despite all the challenges it poses for me, I am absolutely passionate about mothering and becoming the mother God wants me to be. BUT I don't have regular aspirations for my kids. I have no interest in their being successful academically, financially, socially etc. What I want for them more than anything is that they follow God and fulfil his purpose for their lives. I love the quote from Suzannah Wesley that she dedicated the entirety of twenty years to the salvation of her children's souls. That's my ultimate aim for motherhood.

3. I met my husband on a Uni exchange to Innsbruck, Austria. He was a lapsed Christian and I was a wayward student. We did everything that we weren't supposed to do but we embarked upon a journey of faith together along the way. That was 16 years ago and this year we've been married for 13 of those. Thank God that we began our married life in love with Him as well as each other. We've had some tough and rocky times together but I can honestly say that I love him now more than ever. He showed me what the love of Jesus looked like in a way that no-one else ever had. I thank God for him every day.

4. I'm a bit of a useless vegan; I often pinch the odd Haribo from the kids.

5. I have a terrible inferiority complex. LOL!

6. I've never had better friends in my whole life than I have now. They give me such love and support; they are true examples of Christlike friendship. Thank you guys.

7. I try to be as green as possible in all my cleaning products, but I'm a bit addicted to Carpet Power, because with three small boys and a cream lounge carpet, I don't know what I'd do without it.

8. I love Poundland. (Horrible I know).

9. I also love chintz so I won't be chucking any out. Sorry IKEA. In fact, the 1980s Laura Ashley look is my favourite interior style.

10. I'm not a very conservative Christian. There are lots of things about Christian conservatism that appeal to me but I have to admit that I have lots of liberal tendencies. I have a great deal of sympathy with the Palestinians, I wear trousers quite alot, I am trying to use grace-based discipline with my children because I just found smacking didn't work at all for us, I have a lot to thank the welfare state for having grown up in a single parent family. I could go on.

Well, there you go. 10 honest things about me. Hope you still want to read my blog after that.

I pass on the Honest Scrap award to:
Jackie at Hedgerow Ways and Fireside Days
Esther at Hands and Hearts Together
Clare at Now we are Six
Sarah at A Mother's Heart
Hazel at Living and Mothering in a Village in West Yorks
Jenny at Homeschooling Nine Kids
Pippa at When I get the time
Wendy at Sunnyside Acre
Clair at Little Rainbows
Sharon at Diary of a Housewife

I hope no-one is cross that I didn't give them one. I think everyone deserves an award really; I get so much inspiration for reading all your lovely blogs.

Thank you to Leah!!!!!

Jo
x

A Quick Update

2010-04-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know that I'm still here. My lack of blogging is primarily due to the cleaning mania with which I have been gripped for the past few weeks. Funny thing is, though, that despite all my dusting and vaccuming and wiping, the place still looks grotty. I have a suspicion that three small boys might have something to do with that. Lol! Also, our computer is well and truly jiggered, and given our complete lack of funds, I am having to do with Phil's work laptop whenever he can spare it. We are hoping to acquire a second hand FREE laptop reasonably soon so I'll be able to upload photos then, as I can't upload anything onto Phil's.

I am getting rather fed up of waiting for baby and also having all sorts of doubts about how we will manage emotionally and financially. Sadly, our finances have taken an even darker turn and it's difficult to know how having an extra person to clothe and feed will affect things. I pray and believe that God will provide, that's all I can do. And then there's the doubts about our parenting ability; can we do this? I know that when LO arrives all these doubts will fade into nothing but right now they seem very real. I think it's just the waiting getting to me. I keep having the odd very stron bh, and even the odd bout of regular contractions, but then nothing. Well baby can't stay in there forever, can he? Or she? Is anyone taking bets? My money's on another boy but I could be wrong. Hope we find out soon.

Not feeling so good today

2010-03-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

So my feelings of how wonderful the simple life are have disappeared, to be replaced by despair, envy and bitterness. None of these characteristics represent the person I want to be, and yet at the moment I feel held captive to my negative emotions and all I want to do is cry and feel how life is not fair. I think it could be the hormones mixed with tiredness but I can't seem to rationalise it at all. The thing which really upset me was volunteering to sing at a church event yesterday and baking cakes to accompany the soiree. Thing is, when I got there the place was massively busy with nowhere to sit AND cakes and drinks were being sold as a fundraiser. Now, I was happy to donate my time and culinary efforts to this event. It was a good cause. BUT, I had not a single penny in my purse, and three sweet toothed children by my side. I just couldn't take it and ended up leaving the children with a friend (who so kindly bought cakes for them) and going home and crying for an hour on the sofa. How pathetic?! I am such a sad case. I am trying to believe that things will improve, but it is hard to see at the moment. And I need to apologise to the choir leader for leaving her in the lurch, but I just can't bring myself to even broach the subject. Every time I think about it I just want to cry. I guess it's the hormones. Never mind, not long now.

Treasure in Heaven

2010-03-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

So, we are broke. Totally broke. Don't ask me why; it's a long story and I don't want pity so I shan't recount it. I just wanted to reflect on the situation, and draw some positives from it.

I used to work full time as a teacher. I had lots of disposable cash. My child wore clothes from Gap and Next and we had nice holidays and nice things. BUT, he spent his days with a childminder and was fairly miserable to say the least. I, meanwhile, was consumed by guilt. If I kept on working my child was suffering; if I gave up work it was a waste of everything I'd achieved in terms of my education and escape from council estate poverty. In the end work broke me and, pregnant with baby number two, I gave up my job and stayed home.

And here I am now, home educating three boys and having less money than I've ever had in my whole life. But, in between the bouts of horror about paying bills and eeking out our food budget, I am also happier than I've ever been before. It's quite freeing to live outside of our consumer society; to not have the option of shopping in mainstream outlets. It's incredibly freeing to have a menu plan for each week and know what I'm cooking each day. But most of all, I know that all the 'stuff' I could have if I were a working mom is just temporal garbage which would end up on a landfill site some time in the future. My children, on the other hand, have eternal souls which will live with God forever. This said, how much better to spend my time and effort in helping them to grow in education, character and faith, than spending my time and money in the local shopping centre. I really do believe that what Satan means for our downfall can be used by God for our ultimate good, just like in the Old Testament story of Joseph, and also according to Romans 8:28:

King James BibleAnd we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I can honestly say that we've had some pretty awful times on the way to where we are now. Times I would have done anything to avoid if I'd had foreknowledge of them. I didn't want to be who I am now; I wanted to be the woman who had everything; a supermum; glamorous, capable, wealthy, envied by all. But God had other ideas, and boy am I grateful that he did. When I look back at who I was then I am pretty horrified. Don't get me wrong. I am sooooooooooooo not the person he ultimately wants me to be; I still have a considerable way to go,... but, I am trying to walk with him and be guided by him in my daily life. I am sure that there will be tough times ahead but I also know that God will use them to mould and shape me for his purpose, and that his overall plan for me is a good one.

Praise Him.

Jo x

Pancakes and etc

2010-02-17T14:02:00.001-08:00

We had a fairly low key Valentines celebration here. We made some decorations. The boys went earlyish to bed. Mummy and Daddy had their favourite Indian takeaway. And then Mummy was sick. I'm not sure whether the curry was dodgy or my heavily pregnant body just didn't like it, but it involved a whole day rushing between bed and bathroom. Not nice. Also fairly wierd since curry has been one of my major cravings in previous pregnancies.

Anyway, we were back on track for Shrove Tuesday when we spent alot of time talking about Jesus' baptism and confessing our sins, before tucking into a terribly sinful treat of vegan pancakes, melted chocolate, syrup, strawberries and fresh cream and ice cream for the non vegan types. Yummy. We have now given up cakes for Lent. So far so good but I have a feeling it could get difficult.

Slow Cooker

2010-02-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say, for the record, how much I love my slow cooker. Made vegetable dahl today to take to my sister's tomorrow as she doesn't really do vegan catering, bless her (who does?). I've had to do minimal actual cooking in order to prepare this tasty dish. Just a bit of chopping here, a sprinkle of spices there and a temperature adjustment or two along the way. Marvellous. Trouble is, I'm really good at making anything with lentils in it, but not so good at anything else. LOL. All slow cooker tips greatly appreciated.

Menu Planning Update

2010-02-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

So far, so good. It's Thursday and so far this week we have stuck to plan. We are eating sooo well. Lots of veggies and salads, and I've managed not to buy ANY supermarket bread. Hurrah. Favourite meals so far include tonight's chilli bean bake (although tasty it did fall apart rather) and last week's home made pesto. My weekly shop came in at just under £60 for a family of five. I have to say that this no longer includes organic as our current financial situation won't allow for that wonderful luxury. I do miss it but also feel liberated at not having to stick to what was in the box. At the end of the day, I will do the best I can for my family with the money I have available to me and, as for the horrid pesticides and fertilisers, I am having to trust God with my children's health. He is, after all, supreme.

Getting ready for baby

2010-02-11T14:55:00.001-08:00

Ihave approximately nine weeks until my due date. Arrrrggghhhh! For ages I haven't thought about the littlie growing inside of me. I've talked about it vaguely with the children, and said vague prayers of blessing, but I've honestly been so busy with the other 'present' children that the imminency of our impending arrival hadn't dawned upon me. Anyway, I am now being shaken into reality. I have the outline of little feet appearing on my stomach, and my insides feel like the spin cycle of a 1600 rpm washing machine. There is definitely a baby in there. It is growing fast and will soon make an appearance. With this in mind I ordered some Tots Bot first size nappies from a lovely lady on GP forum and, from another lady, ordered some lovely flannel and terry fabric to make some more. I have even rewaterproofed my newborn wraps. The John Lewis sale provided me with a lovely organic daysuit, and I am 2/3 of the way through knitting a cardigan. All I need to do now is get everything out of the loft and wash/clean it. What fun!

You'll notice the picture of Will with his baby doll being ever so gentle (not)! We gave him the doll to get him used to the idea of having a baby, but apart from a few kisses and cuddles, the poor wee thing is tossed about from here to there. And if anyone other than Will dare to come to Mummy for a snuggle then the Lord help them (and I mean that, I'm not taking His name in vain here) for they are pinched, hit, bitten and headbutted. Slightly concerned about this, I have to admit, but I'm sure it will be alright on the night, as they say.

Learning

2010-02-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

We used to be autonomous home educators but, for various reasons, we decided about six months ago to introduce some structure and learning goals into our HE agenda. I'm sorry to say, though, that I went rather overboard in some areas and am now having to back off a little. Four year old Ed really seemed to show a lot of reading readiness, so I purchased the book 'Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons'. Now I don't mean to disrespect the book, as it may work very well for some children; for us, however, it was a nightmare. We did all of six lessons before Ed told me that 'reading is boring' and I quickly shelved it in horror before heading into a massive panic about what I was going to do with him now. Anyway, I needn't have worried for it seems that Ed is reading ready, but he needs a more hands on, interactive approach. He woke up this morning, grabbed some bath letters he received as a Christmas pressie and told me we were doing some letter work.

We had such fun. We talked about vowels and consonants and that you really need some of both in order to make a word. (He kept making strings of consonants and saying 'what does this say, mummy?') Then I put together some VC combinations such as 'at/in/ot' and made up stories about them sitting on a park bench together and along came 'f' who said, 'I wonder what would happen if I sat down with 'at' and joined my sound to them?' He was actually reading CVCs and enjoying every minute. Of course, being Ed, he then went on to make up some very random 'letter stories' involving death, destruction and Indiana Jones. But hey, I totally feel that we're making progress. In contrast, I have to say that he really enjoys his maths workbook and can write down the answers of problems up to the sum of ten. Wierd, we are two English graduates with two maths/science orientated children. I have to say, though, that mathsy or not, he is loving 'The Horse and his Boy', our bedtime readaloud. I'll make him a literature fan one way or the other. LOL!!!

Creative Playtime

2010-02-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

After a morning supermarket shopping which culminated with some horrid tantrums from Ed and Mummy on our return, the boys really enjoyed some creative play this afternoon. They rearranged the dining room chairs into a castle configuration and, along with the help of some baby toys which were utilised as a control panel, made a spaceship underneath the table. I realise that there's an anachronism going on here but, hey, who cares when you're having fun. Please excuse the hideous, smelly dummy. He's had it since he decided to give up bfing at 14 months and I am finding it impossible to get rid of. Arrrrggggghhhh!

Blessings in Brokeness

2010-02-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

Brokeness is not something we normally celebrate. In fact, in today's consumer driven society we cast away the broken without a thought, replacing it with a newer, pristine version. But the Bible is clear that God will not despise 'a broken and contrite heart' (Psalm 51:17 NIV). In fact, when we look throughout the Bible it is apparent that brokeness is indeed the perfect starting point for blessing. Isaiah is particularly rich in images of the Father taking that which is barren and reinvigorating it:
'I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.' Isaiah 43:19 NIV
'...To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning...' Isaiah 61:3 NLT

In a way we are all broken; we all come into the world with the imprint of sin upon us and, as such, are equally in need of His restorative touch. For some, however, brokeness becomes who we are. We have broken hearts, minds or bodies, and that brokeness seems to become our identity. Sadly, the world is not a friendly place for the broken. It is a place where euthanasia is becoming an increasingly acceptable way to deal with the brokeness of chronic illness. It is a place where babies are denied the right to life because they have 'broken' chromosomes. It is a place where the brokeness of mental illness is stigmatised and feared. And one can only ask, where is God in the midst of all this brokeness? What is he doing about it? I am not a theologian. I can't give you answers filled with scriptural wisdom. I can only reflect on what I observe in my own life and the lives of those whose stories have touched my own.

The boys have a young friend with microcephaly. His brain does not work in quite the same way as mine or yours. He may never grow beyond the capacities of a small child. Society considers him broken. And yet, Jesus was quite clear that we must 'change and become like little children' in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). So one might ask who it is that has the disadvantage in life? I suppose it depends how you perceive success. If life is measured in terms of financial reward and physical independence, then it is surely we who have the advantage. BUT, I truly believe in the opening words of the Westminster catechism that man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. And this young man, with his childish joy and faith, emmanates God's glory in a way that most adults never could. So surely, it is we who are the broken ones, our innocence smashed by rationalism and worldly desires.

In my life I have had two friends with quite severe mental health problems. Their lives have been acutely affected by mental illness. They have operated under constraints which the average Joe Public has no knowledge of. Such a shame. What a waste. Is that how God would have us respond? Truly, I have never known such brave and determined folk as these. Campaigning against injustices, spreading the gospel despite many setbacks and much criticism. Overcoming gossip and rejection. Trusting in God against all the odds.

One of these friends died suddenly several years ago. At the time I felt very angry with God that he had never healed this young man. He had not married, not been able to find employment, had lived alone in a council flat. Why would God not have healed him so that he was able to enjoy the things that we take for granted? After all, he came to give 'life in all its fullness' didn't he?! (John 10:10) I have to admit that I have not quite reconciled this question in my own heart; it will certainly be one of the things I ask God when I finally stand face to face with him. What I can say, however, is that my friend was never mediocre, never nominal, never overcome by worldliness. He was on fire for God. He had to be. God was his medicine, his sanity, his lifeline. So was he broken or was he blessed? I will share with you the scripture that was read at his funeral, and let you decide.

'We have this treasure from God. But we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that this great power is from God, not from us. We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. We carry the death of Jesus in our own bodies, so that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies.'
2 Corinthians 4: 7-10

An email acquaintance of mine has the following tagline: 'Blessed are the broken, for they let out the light'. Sometimes we hide because we are broken, or we hide our brokeness behind all kind of worldly garments such as career or homemaking. But our brokeness can be a blessing, if we will just embrace it and cry out to God, asking that his light would shine through our cracks, transforming a broken pot into an agent of grace and glory.

Domesticity

2010-02-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

In our current financial crisis (note - current - they happen fairly frequently) I am trying to save money by being savvy with my meal planning. I am planning a weekly menu and only buying the ingredients and items needed for that week. I have to say I feel so much peace about it, having previously been a wait 'til 4pm and then start raiding cupboards and praying for inspiration. Also, we spent about £20 less on groceries this week, which is an added bonus. The children are not so enthused about my plan since to be honest I had become rather lazy and was beginning to rely rather on convenience foods, so now they have to eat real honest tucker. Not popular, I can tell you. I am trying to include a few favourites of theirs in the mix too, so they don't feel so badly done to. Anyway, I thought I'd share my meal plan for next week and see what you think.

Monday

Penne rigate with sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts

French bread

Salad

(from Vegan Feasts by Rose Elliot)

Tuesday

Spiced potato turnovers

Couscous

Colourful bean salad

(Vegan Feasts)

Wednesday

Barley and lentil savoury

Fresh bread

Salad

(from Easy Vegan Cooking by Leah Leneman)

Thursday

Chilli bean roast with tomato sauce

Jacket spuds

Salad

(Easy Vegan Cooking)

Friday

Homemade Pizza

(from Jo's imagination)

Saturday

Mixed veg dahl

Rice

(Vegan Feasts)

Sunday

Vegan toad in the hole

Roast veggies and spuds

(Easy Vegan Cooking)

I'm going to make some puddings as well, which will be interspersed with fruit and yogurt for the sake of all our figures. I'll be making

Bread and butter pudding

Strawberry shortcake

Date and pecan cake

Scones

Flapjacks

Lunches will be a mixture of

Jacket spuds with beans/cheese for the non-vegans/hummous + salad

Sandwiches

Filled pitta

Homemade soup

I am also trying hard to bake more of my own bread but this is something I need to work very hard at as I find it hard to fit into the day.

I guess you might say I'm nesting BUT I still can't get my butt into gear and wash any baby clothes or think about what I might need for this littlie. Help, only 10 and a bit weeks to go.

Lego Boy

2010-02-04T02:31:00.001-08:00

Our eldest son absolutely adores Lego. He spends every spare minute either building models or using his limited computer time to play Lego Indiana Jones or peruse the Lego website. So I thought I'd include some pics of him with his latest creations. Bless him.

Some London Pics

2010-02-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

We recently enjoyed a family trip to London. Enjoy is rather a creative term really, as I was ill for most of the time we were there. Anyway, here are a few pics from everyone's favourite visitor attraction: The Imperial War Museum. Fabulous. So educational. If you are over 14 the Holocaust Exhibition is a must,... lest we forget.

Candlemas

2010-02-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely day today celebrating Candlemas. We started off this morning reading the story of Jesus' dedication in the temple and relating it to the annual blessing of church candles because He is the light of the world. This afternoon we made lemon cakes and cookies as celebration desserts, and painted empty glass jars for our candle table centrepiece. A lovely day. I sooo love the rhythm of celebrating feast days and festivals. Now looking forward to St Valentine's Day, especially as I bought some bargain heart shaped cake tins for £1.20 each yesterday. Too many cakes though; not really great for my expanding figure. Lol!!

A Snowy Adventure

2010-01-07T00:55:00.000-08:00

It was all fairly Biblical really. Mary and Jo were on a journey. A baby was expected. They needed a place to stay. Danger was encountered. And there were angels....

The snow had started as we were driving northwards on the motorway, reinforcing the popular held belief that it is, in fact, grim up north. Steady at first, it reminded me of a swirling mass of dandelion seeds, dancing gently on a summer’s breeze. Only much colder. As we progressed, however, it became the kind of heavy, inexorable snowstorm that constitutes driving hell. Regardless, we ploughed forwards and were able to fulfil our intended purpose before beginning to head home. Then it happened,... we were stuck.

Not just any old stuck, you understand, but stuck in a most
inconvenient manner in the middle of the road. Passers by looked on and hasty prayers were said. And then, out of the snow, two middle aged, bearded and be-hatted northern blokes came to our rescue. Pushing us effortlessly out of the snow drift in which we had become stuck, back onto the navigable part of the carriageway, they could only be angels. Angels, of course, can come in either human or celestial form, and which of the two these gentlemen were I would not like to say. This I do know, however; they were sent by our heavenly Father to help us in a time of need, and we blessed them wholeheartedly and praised God for his mercy and provision as we crept gingerly forwards, bound for home.

It wasn’t long before we were calling for heavenly help and assistance once more. As we approached the brow of a remote rural hill, headed towards the Southbound motorway, we began to slide downwards, out of control in the direction of the roadside barrier. We didn’t hit the barrier with much force but were now completely off the road in the middle of nowhere in a freezing blizzard. Ever the pessimist, thoughts crossed my mind of walking miles to find help and dying of hypothermia along the way. Oh help us God. And surely help came.

A red truck came over the brow of the hill and slowly pulled up behind us. Two men got out of the cab. Middle aged, bearded and be-hatted chaps with a distinct northern twang. Could it be the same men as before? Surely the snow was playing havoc with our sensibilities, but once more our angel helpers achieved the seemingly impossible. They pushed the car, initially embedded in a snowdrift and rammed firm against the barrier, back onto the road. And then they were gone.

Having given up on our quest to get home we now sought a place of refuge overnight. We had a couple more hairy incidents along the way but God protected us and guided us to safety. I have to say that it wasn’t the most pleasant journey I’ve ever made but probably the one from which I’ve learned most. I knew in my heart, all along, that God would take care of us if we trusted him. I felt that the journey was a bit like life. If we place ourselves in God’s hands we will be safe. We will still have to go through difficult and challenging times, and sometimes it will seem as though we are heading off course, veering out of control, or stranded by the wayside. But he will never leave us or forsake us. When, shortly after arriving at our destination, I was moaning to God about some other difficulty in life (how quickly my gratitude and faith can turn to doubt and grumbling) he very clearly told me that if he would bring me through this transient, physical snowstorm how much more would he bring me through life’s literal storms. And what did I reply? Amen to that.

In postscript, I would just like to thank everyone for their prayers, texts and kindness during our snowy adventure, and Rosemary for her exemplary child-minding skills. Thank you. It must also be noted that our esteemed minister managed to get to work every day throughout the cold snap,... and without using his car. Well done Stuart!!!

Hallelujah!!!

2009-10-31T16:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a Hallelujah party. I always feel a bit mean about the children missing out on Halloween but it's not consistent with our beliefs to celebrate it. This year we decided to have a Hallelujah party where we praised God for Jesus, the light of the world. We made Pumpkin Soup (we had to read the book, of course) which we ate with crusty tiger bread and cheese for all the dairy types. Then, because our oven is broken atm, we feasted on refrigerator cake. We read scriptures about Jesus being the light of the world and talked about how tomorrow is All Saints Day, so we talked about missionaries and martyrs, particularly the need to remember to pray for those who are out there on the front line. Our dear friend Jennifer is currently working as a missionary in Thailand so we will think of her particularly tomorrow. After the meal and meditations the children carved pumpkins with crucifixes and 'joyful' faces. We played apple bobbing and marshmallow fishing and then roasted marshmallows. We ended the evening with hot chocolate all around. Yummy. It was a great evening and I'm sure the children will remember it and ask for another next year. I shall have to get thinking of some new games.

The thing that saddens me is that I'd love to do something similar at church but there is no will for it. In fact, I wonder how many children were at Halloween parties or out trick or treating. That fear may be totally unjust but most people think we're mean for telling the children that Santa isn't real so I wonder if they think we're just as odd for opting out of Halloween. I guess there might be conversation after coffee tomorrow and then we'll see.

Hallelujah to our risen Lord.

Christmas Consumerism

2009-10-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time of year again. Apparently the Christmas decorations are already up in The Mall. Cue crowded shops, spending frenzy and overloaded credit cards. And why are we doing this? To celebrate the birth of a child in a dirty, smelly stable, who lived several years of his adult life with 'nowhere to lay his head', and ended it on a cross to pay for the all the hideous sins of humanity. Hmmm. Makes a lot of sense doesn't it?! If you feel like answering NO to this question, please check out the following links and think about doing Christmas another way this year. I can't say we'll be totally 'buy nothing' but we are seeking a simpler, more intentional celebration.

www.buynothingchristmas.org
www.simpleliving.org
www.wwjbmovie.com

Jo
x

Hello again

2009-10-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Sorry I haven't been blogging for a while but I've been rather overwhelmed for the last few months. All my boys are now a year older and a new baby is on the horizon. I am 12 weeks pregnant and am just coming to the end of a period of nausea and tiredness. I didn't quite expect that baby no. 4 would come quite so soon after no.3 but, having got over the surprise we are now delighted, although wondering how we will afford a bigger car and if we can move house should the baby be a girl. We are sure, however, that those details will merge into insignificance when we meet our little one; God knows what we need and has them in hand. I hope to get back to blogging more regularly soon, but for now I will leave you with our news and say goodnight.
Jo
x

Painting with Will

2009-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Had to share this pic of Will enjoying the washable canvas he received for his birthday. What a great gift idea; he had a lovely time experimenting with the brushes.

Summer 09 Photos

2009-08-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Will's Birthday

2009-08-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well last Wednesday my little chap had his first birthday. It was a close call as to whether or not he'd be well enough to celebrate but in the end he was fairly chipper. I was so excited and was up until 3am on the morning of his birthday decorating the family room and wrapping presents. We bought him a Myriad stacking rainbow and a pushalong duck with flappy feet from Treeblocks. I also made him a lovely birthday crown, which he was not too impressed with having to wear, a family of knitted sheep, a felt cube and a bedtime bag. Later he received a new carset (horror of horrors it cost £105 - I nearly passed out from having to part with the cash but apparently we have buckle crunch and so a less expensive one would be dangerous) and a huge array of wonderful unique and handmade gifts from friends and family. We had a lovely party in the evening with friends from church; unfortunately our families live too far away to make it easy to attend such events. He loved the attention and had a super day, not at all phased by any of it.

I can't believe that a year has passed since he first entered our physical world. Of course he lived in our hearts long before that day, but it was so momentous meeting him in the flesh for the first time, especially when we had lived with the shadow of chromosomal abnormality in the preceeding months. When I think that we could have lost him if I'd had the amniocentesis, and he was perfectly healthy after all, not that we would have loved him less had he not been healthy. It's been a fantastic first year. I always worry that you won't have enough love for another child, yet somehow love seems to stretch to encompass the new bundle without thinning elsewhere. He is such a fantastic chap; he is funny and loving and adventurous and a little bit mischievous and I am soooooooooo proud of him. My darling boy.

Catching Up

2009-08-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted for ages but just a quick note to let you know that we are all alive and well, or wellish at least; William has a throat infection atm. He's being very brave bless him although we are all rather stir crazy at having to stay indoors. If it's not the weather it's a poorly child. Mind, he's not really been ill at all since he's been born so it's a rarity for him to be so under the weather. It's his birthday next week. My wee little one will be 1. I can't believe it. I have been crafting apace to make him some lovely gifts, as well as a weeny Myriad order you understand.

We haven't done much since my last post, although we attended Keswick Convention and got rather wet camping in the rain. It was brilliant, though, and really got us back on track with our Christian lives after sliding a bit recently.

Anyway, enough for now.

Jo

Cornwall and Home Ed Madness

2009-06-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic holiday in Cornwall last week courtesy of The Sun (spit) newspaper. Instead of £409 our lovely caravan cost £215 for the whole week. We had a fab time exploring parts of that wonderful county we had never before ventured into. I finally got to go to St Michael's Mount and we had a lovely day on the beach with the gorgeous Claire and her family who were co-incidentally staying nearby. We had one day of rain but otherwise glorious sunshine. The day of rain we spent at the National Seal Centre at Gweek thinking it would be undercover for much of the day. Not so; we got very wet but had a brilliant time anyway and ds1 actually got to feed the seals himself. Our National Trust membership came into its own, and the Seal Centre was the only day out where we had to pay; we went to the aforementioned Mount, Keynance Cove, Glendurgan Gardens, Cornish Mines and Engines, Trerice, Godolphin and, on our journey home, Castle Drogo. It was all rather lovely and none of us wanted to come home. I will post pics later; you will see that my darling babe loves sand almost as much as compost. The nappies, I assure you, were horrific.

Since we got back it's been home ed madness. We've been out practically every day for horse-riding, bowling and park visits. Tomorrow we're going to an art workshop at a rather lovely stately home so I am rather looking forward to that. Busy, busy, busy. But fun. Glad to be back to bloggin' land, anyway, especially now Jackie's begun her fab Miss Read blog. I shall have to get back to reading fiction; I am such a non-fiction addict that I forget how much I actually enjoy fiction until I pick up a book and begin to read. And I do love Miss Read.

Bye for now
Jo
x

Some-Recent-Pics

2009-05-27T14:07:00.001-07:00

Recent-makes-and-smallholding-fun.--This-keyboard-makes-it-just-too-painful-to-type-more.--sorry.

Stuff

2009-05-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

I-am-still-harrassed-by-a-broken-keyboard-and-since-I-have-thrown-all-available-funds-down-the-Amazon-(as-opposed-to-down-the-drain)-I-will-have-to-persevere-for-a-little-longer.--Otherwise-I-am-good.--We-are-doing-the-40-Days-of-Purpose-at-church-and-I-am-loving-it,-although-I-keep-getting-behind-with-my-readings.--My-quest-to-de-chem-the-house-is-also-going-well,-with-recent-makes-including-homemade-carpet-freshener-(bicarb&lavender-oil)-room-spray-(water,-a-little-vinegar-and-lemon-oil)-and-washing-up-liquid.--I-am-particularly-pleased-with-the-latter-as-it-really-seems-to-be-effective-at-getting-the-pots-clean.--It-doesn't-have-bubbles-though-so-it's-not-for-diehard-bubble-lovers.--I-found-the-recipe-here:
http://melissagoodsell.typepad.com/day_to_day/2008/08/home-made-dishwashing-liquid-it-smells-beautiful-fresh-and-looks-very-cute-in-this-recycled-milk-glass-bottle-sassafr.html
I-also-need-to-tell-you-that-my-lovely-e-friend-Jackie-is-embarking-on-new-ventures-and-has-a-competition-to-celebrate.--Check-it-out-here:
http://hedgerowfireside.blogspot.com/
I-will-post-more-later-I-have-lovely-pics-to-post-when-I-get-the-time.
Jo
x

Book Sharing Monday

2009-05-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magical-Garden-Claude-Anholts-Artists/dp/1845071360

Today-we-read-The-Magical-Garden-of-Claude-Monet-by-Lawrence-Anholt.--It-is-a-very-special-book-for-us-because-we-had-the enormous-good-fortune-to-visit-Monet's-garden-this-time-last-year-and-my-then-two-year-old-fell-completely-in-love-with-Monet's-paintings-and-with-this-book.--It-is-about-a-little-girl-called-Julie-and-her-dog-Louie-who-visit-Monet-in-his-garden-with-Julie's-artist-mother.--It's-a-splendid-magical-book.--I-recommend-all-the-Anholt-artists-but-this-is-definitely-our-favourite.

Things-that-make-me-smile

2009-05-05T13:50:00.001-07:00

I-bought-myself-a-coping-saw-and-hand-drill-to-make-this-Waldorf-style-house-for-Ed's-little-people.

Will-helping-to-plant-some-tatties.

Our-first-harvest-of-the-year-lovely-salad-leaves.

Swinging

Look-at-what-my-Mummy-milk-did-who-needs-formula?

My-new-haircare-regime-using-bicarbonate-of-soda-and-apple-cider-vinegar

Book Sharing Monday

2009-05-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

A-bit-late-due-to-the-bank-holiday-but-here-we-are.

We-read-'Who-Made-the-Morning?'http://www.newdaypublishing.net/who-made-the-morning-available-march-2008/

http://crazy4kidsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/video-book-trailer-who-made-morning.html

It-is-a-story-about-a-little-brown-bird-who-sets-out-to-find-out-who-made-the-beautiful-morning.--She-finds-that-it-was-God-and-then-sets-out-to-find-the-maker-of-all-things.--A-scary-adventure-leads-her-to-discover-that-God-the-maker-of-all-things-is-always-with-her-and-that-he-is-stronger-than-the-wind-and-always-takes-care-of-her.--I-love-this-bk-so-much-and-the-kids-love-it-too.

Book Sharing Monday

2009-04-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-legged-Cat-Picture-Puffin/dp/0140549633/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240859660&sr=8-2
Our-bk-for-today-was-about-a-three-legged-cat:
Mrs Gimble's cat would love to prowl, but has only three legs. Mrs Gimble's brother, Cyril, travels, but he is thinking of stopping because his head is cold. When Cyril visits Mrs Gimble, he picks up the cat instead of his hat - which keeps his head warm and allows the cat to travel. Very-topical-for-us-as-we-have-a-three-legged-cat-called-Bramble.--Space-bar-is-dead-so-not-much-info-today-sorry!!!
Jo

Book Sharing Monday

2009-04-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

I saw this on another blog and had to participate since, as most of you know, I am a total book fiend. Today our book was Eddie's Garden and How to Make Things Grow by Sarah Garland. A friend bought it for my Eddie from a library discard sale and it has turned out to be a wonderful book, worth far more than the few pennies she paid for it. It is about a little boy called Eddie who wants a garden and so he, his mum and his baby sister, Lily, go about growing plants and vegetables in their back garden. On the way they learn about pests and how to control them (slug hunting at midnight) and what plants need to grow. It's a lovely book and my ds2 particularly enjoyed it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845070151/ref=sib_rdr_dp

If my camera had any charge....

2009-04-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

If my camera had any charge, today I would have taken pictures of...

My house: even after a massive cleaning and decluttering weekend, the boys have managed to spread Lego throughout it's entirety again. Sigh.

My lettuces: they are coming along so nicely and I can't resist pulling off a few leaves and having a munch now and again.

My little boy sat chewing straw on the smallholding whilst I was weeding; with his sunhat on he looked like a proper country bumpkin.

The same little boy during and after his mud eating session.

That littlie again, asleep under a blackcurrant bush in the sunshine; not quite a gooseberry bush....

The smallholding; it's looking so good now. Wendy and Emma have worked tremendously hard, and I suppose I've helped a little.

Ds1 and his chum dam building in Wendy's brook.

Ds2 actually picking up a fork and digging.

The chickens because they look so beautiful at this time of year, their glossy feathers sparkling with sunlight.

The wonderful flowering cherry in Wendy's neighbour's garden.

...and lots more I expect. But unfortunately my camera has no charge, so you will just have to imagine.

Jo x

Busy busy

2009-04-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well I had some time off today when a very dear friend took the boys to the park for a couple of hours. Yes I even let my littlie go. I would have missed him terribly except that I was far too busy making habitable ds1's bedroom. Imagine wading through a sea of Lego and dog-eared Beanos, strewn with random articles of crockery (which are not really allowed in the bedroom I might add). That's how it was this morning. NOW it is an oasis of calm and orderliness. Three binbags full of clothes and toys no longer required have been despatched to the charity shop (or at least are waiting to be despatched in the back of the car) and several items have disappeared via Freecycle. Yesterday I gave the same treatment to ds2's bedroom, and with some shelves I managed to liberate, we now have a very organised home ed section in our family room. Overloaded of course (I do have a tendency to buy and buy and buy books) but organised nevertheless. I feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel for my badly in need of tlc home. I mean I would love it to look like something out of Country Living, but with three small boys and a distinct lack of funds for home furnishings, that is not going to happen. But at least it is a little cleaner in a couple of corners. Long may it last.
Jo
x

Happy Easter!!!!

2009-04-12T00:22:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:6 (New International Version)
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.

The boys got up to a treasure hunt this morning. Daddy had organised it in the wee hours so we were still a little sleepy but they were very excited. A trail of eggs filled with goodies led to their chocolate eggs and Easter gifts. They each had a bag filled with the following:

Chocolate pebbles to remind them of the stone that was rolled away

Chocolate coins to remind us of the price Jesus paid for our sins

An empty egg with 'He is risen' written on a slip of paper inside.

An egg filled with jelly beans and a copy of the jelly bean prayer.

Other gifts included: 2 finger puppets for Ed, a Lego bag made out of Daddy's old jeans for G and a first attempt at a Waldorf style dolly for Will.

We are now going to read an Easter story together, take Jesus out of the Lego tomb and head off to church for early Communion.

God bless you all.

Good Friday

2009-04-11T04:29:00.000-07:00

Because I couldn't bear the thought of three yelling children at a cross vigil in the town centre we went to Evesham yesterday, where a special weekend was being organised by the Northumbria Christian community. It was awesome. We didn't do very much, but we prayed the stations of the cross and had some meditative time out in the abbey. I really love the reflectiveness of their approach to God. I have decided to start using the Northumbrian prayer offices as part of my devotional time, and perhaps for family devotions as well. You can find out more about the Northumbrian community on their website.
http://www.northumbriacommunity.org/
If you go on the downloads section you can listen to some lovely celtic worship songs.
Thinking that we might try to get our Sun(spit) holiday in Berwick upon Tweed now and visit some of the ancient celtic worship sites.
Jo

Kool aid dyeing

2009-04-11T04:17:00.001-07:00

http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall02/FEATdyedwool.html
http://www.koolaiduk.com/
Since FairClaire told me about undyed wool in a local farm shop I've been itching to buy some and dye my own garments/skeins. I'm interested in natural dyeing but a little daunted at the prospect. Kool Aid dyeing is very intriguing though, and it doesn't seem too complicated either. Watch this space.

Lots more Easter blog posts coming soon.
Jo

Passover

2009-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

This year one of my resolutions was to build more, rhythm and joy into our lives. We have tried to do this by being 'present' in the moment and trying to celebrate the every day. We've also started to take note of some festivals that we consider important. Today we celebrated Passover. We are not Jews but we are Christians, and the Passover story is an important part of our heritage. It reminds us that however enslaved we are by satan in whatever terrible situations, our God is a deliverer and a redeemer. So we had a huge cleanup in anticipation of friends joining us, and then we ate our Passover meal, complete with Sedar plate and Haggadah service. It was wonderful; I think the kids were a bit bored in places but overall we all thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think the experience will be repeated again next year, unless of course our Saviour returns....

Frustration

2009-04-07T03:48:00.000-07:00

I gave DS1 his Home Ed ideas book today. He was thrilled and immediately got to work on writing down some ideas. The main one was to do a project on Lego history. So we all came upstairs into our bedroom (where the computer with internet access is) so that he could do some research. I brought card, glue, sequins and pens for DS2, planning to make an Easter garland to hang up as part of our Easter decorations. That was about an hour ago. And where are they now. Off,... playing. To be fair, DS1 is building something to do with the Easter story in Lego for the season table. DS2 is making a mess. I have made eggs, crosses and flowers for our garland which I really enjoyed. WHY can't they join in????? It is sooooo difficult. I know boys don't like doing crafts so much as girls, but I wish they would last longer than 10 minutes. As for the internet research, he printed out one picture and then watched this, which is very funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVrIyEu6h_E
Hoping for a better afternoon.
Jo

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

I love Palm Sunday and the build up to Easter. Almost as much as I love Christmas, in fact. Maybe more, actually. Anyway, last night we made a fab Palm cross from The Children's Year book, although with paper cockerel and sun due to time and energy constraints. We managed not to eat all the sweets and raisins and strung some of them on to the branches. There were even a few left in a basket to hand out as treats at church, along with some paper palm branches ds2 and I made this morning. It was wonderful. Of course, the response at church is that people think we're completely bonkers but never mind.

Tonight we went to a Palm Sunday celebration service in Worcester and heard Robin Oake speak about the death of his son and the need for forgiveness. It was awesome; I totally admire that family. It makes me feel terrible that earlier in the day I got upset about someone being a little derisive about our Palm Sunday treats. He told a brilliant joke which brings it home wonderfully:

What is a custard Christian?

One that gets upset about little trifles.

Lol. Definitely me. Something to pray about and work on with the Lord's help methinks.

Recent Stuff

2009-03-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Historic Dockyard at Chatham

Spring at Sissinghurst on our recent trip to Kent.

Growing stuff.

Lyme Park.

Jodrell Bank.

Knitted legwarmers by Mummy.

Stuff

2009-03-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Feeling a bit downhearted at the moment. Can't put my finger on anything specific; I think it's just tiredness and hormones. One thing that did upset me, however, was that someone pointed me towards some comments regarding Deborah Drapper on the Richard Dawkins blog and they were heinous about Deborah, her family and Christianity in general. Call me naive but I really didn't realise just how much we were hated in some sections of society. I know Jesus said to expect it but I still found it shocking.

The last few days have been lovely here. We have been in the garden mostly; we even had a picnic out there today. Wills loved sitting on the picnic blanket with his toys and playing; he was so content. I am getting a lot of washing dry too, that is when the big boys aren't squirting it with their water pistols. Ds1 made us a treasure hunt today. The treasure was some green buns left over from St Patrick's day yesterday. Speaking of which, St Paddy's day marked 15 years since me and dh got together, under a table in a jazz cafe in Innsbruck (we were wild back then).

Tomorrow we meet with Graham Badman at our local HE group; deep joy!!!

Jo x

Around and about

2009-03-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from Warrington where we stayed with dh whilst he was training some clients. The boys have decided they prefer hotels to home because they're tidier,... hmm, I wonder why guys?! I must admit not having to do any washing up, fabulously powerful showers and a cooked breakfast every morning does appeal, but tbh I do like my home comforts. We had a lovely time whilst Daddy was working; on the first day we visited the Jodrell Bank radio telescope which was very interesting and quite captivated the boys' imaginations. Today we went to Lyme Park so that I could prance about pretending to be Elizabeth Bennet. Unfortunately (although the boys cheered) the house and gardens were not open, but we did have a lovely time walking in the parkland and playing in the play area.
Tomorrow I am trying to raise some much needed cash by having a table at a second hand toy and baby equipment sale. I have smuggled lots of toys into the boot of the car this very night. Or dh did to be more precise. They've ignored them for months, but if they knew the said toys were being sold all hell would break loose. I feel kind of guilty but I do need the money and they have far more toys than they need anyway. How much money we raise remains to be seen.
Enjoy your weekends folks.
Jo

First night in wool and a failed treasure hunt.

2009-03-07T01:56:00.000-08:00

Well we had our first night in a wool soaker last night and no leaks which is amazing because we always get leaks on a night, even in lovely Motherease wraps. I am very happy and will definitely be ordering more lovely soakers from Carley at http://bibsnbots.co.uk . Last night I finished knitting the lovely wool rabbit for our Seasonal table, so I made a trail for the boys with eight clues leading them around the house. They were very excited about doing the trail this morning but their response to the rabbit was 'is this it?!?!?' I am more than a little deflated. Apparently they thought it would be buns. Hmmm, so Anne of Green Gables is bang on when she reflects, in Avril's Atonement, that the culinary arts are the way to a man's heart. I like my rabbit, though, he is lovely. Simple things eh.....
Jo

A grand spring day

2009-03-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

This morning we went to FairClaire's fairtrade coffee morning.

This afternoon much Knex was built.

Nappies were hung on the line to dry.

Blown eggs were batiked.

And put on the season table; the boys thought they looked like dinosaur eggs.

The seasonal table is now very springlike.

We twisted some branches and added ribbons to make streamers.

Everyone was very excited when our veg box came.

Mummy might not be eating cakes this Lent but she made quick work of this homemade toffee.

William is enjoying his food too.

2009-02-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

A gift of money meant that we were able to have these lovely pics taken of our family. We hope you like.

Pancakes and Lent

2009-02-25T01:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had our annual pancake party with friends. I didn't do any flipping but I ended up with some lovely round pancakes made with eggs from Claire's chickens at Now we are Six. The boys of course won't eat my pancakes and had some of those little scotch ones from Sainsburys. I also made a chocolate cake as I have decided to give up cake for Lent. I had my final slice late last night. This will be very hard for me as I love cake very much. You can probably tell that from my avatar. LOL.
Baby crying will post more later and add pancake pics.
Jo

New Longies

2009-02-23T08:47:00.001-08:00

Finished these when I should've been doing the housework. Didn't even have the cuppa I'd planned. Addict!!!!!

Lego

2009-02-23T03:08:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to blow ds1's trumpet. He recently did a Lego Exhibition for Tearfund/Kid's Life charities and raised £112. I am so proud of him. The idea came from a bible study we did on using your talents for God. Here is Jesus on the cross in Lego (hope no-one finds it heretical).

Jo x

Nappy Heaven

2009-02-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

We are in nappy heaven since we have discovered wool wraps. And knitting heaven too. Pictured below is my dearest Will with the soaker that got me started; an easy peasy pattern from The Children's Year. It is now lanolised thanks to Carley at Bibs n Bots and is fantastic; I change his nappy so much more often now as I am aware almost immediately when he is wet or soiled and consequently he is so much more comfortable. See also my longies in production, using fabulous Kaffe Fassett wool from Rowan. I am truly a wool convert.

Jo x

Spring

2009-02-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

Well spring has officially sprung. Today the boys spent all afternoon in the garden with various offcuts of wood and the tool box fashioning a 'cat house' for our poor beloved three legged feline. It is rather a ramshackle affair and the cat won't actually enter it but I am rather proud of their efforts and dead pleased that they enjoyed the fresh air for so long. I have changed the cloth on our season table to a lovely green and the snowdrop fairy has arrived to herald the onset of spring. I am very excited about it all, especially since we go on a busman's holiday to the Kent coast with dh at the end of March. I hope the weather will be as lovely as it was today. Speaking of today, my Myriad order for dear nephew's birthday arrived today, and with it a catalogue. Oh my, I am going to be selling things on Ebay to fund some purchases.
True to form my littlest has awoken and is screaming the place down.
Goodnight.
Jo

Crochet disaster and success/ living organisation

2009-02-07T02:29:00.000-08:00

You will see my sister's crocheted hat in the pictures of William below - it came out rather small. I have now managed to crochet a larger and very successful version for sending on Monday. I will try and take a photo of it before it is posted, if I can find my phone/camera.

Today we are ousting the tv from our sitting room. Currently we have a TV in both the sitting and dining/family rooms. Today we hope to have a reading, relaxing, listening to music room. I will let you know how it goes. The children and dh may revolt.

Jo

snow n stuff

2009-02-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

Housework and etc.

2009-02-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

I am really struggling to get on top of the housework atm. Every time I put LO down he sqawks - I use the sling for as long as I can and for the tasks it's appropriate for but I am just not able to do it all of the time. And because he doesn't have much of a routine as yet it is so difficult to get anything done. result: the house is barely fit for human habitation. Hey ho!!!

Good news on the weaning front - it is going fantastically. I love blw - it is so freeing and he is just devouring anything I put in front of him atm. I even had a pooey nappy with real food bits in it yesterday, so he is definitely 'eating'

I am reading an excellent book at the moment called Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour by Susan Perrow. I bought it when a fellow mum at toddler group asked if ds2 is autisic.
Then another lovely lady said he needed more discipline and suggested we smack him. In response I smacked him once after battling with him for an hour to dress him and we both cried for ages before I decided that my earlier non-smacking instincts were actually correct. So I am at the end of my tether with a very challenging but adorable little boy whose role as youngest and mummy's baby has jus been usurped in HIS eyes. So we are addressing each issue with a suitable story as the occasion arises and I think I just might be making some progress. I'll let you know how we progress.
Jo

Snow.

2009-02-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Have mislaid my charger yet again but some friends took lovely photos of the boys in the snow which I thought I would blog for your pleasure.

Enjoy.

Tax Nightmare Continued

2009-02-01T09:07:00.001-08:00

Well I have finally filed my tax return. I am going to put in a 'Reasonable Excuse' form because it is unreasonable to have to phone them 15 times to get a simple IT problem fixed. And if they make me pay they are scuppered 'cos I earn absolutely no money. I have CB but would they really make me cough up out of that?! Snowing here, but not really enough to make a vast amount of difference. Hope it's not too bad overnight as we don't want to miss digging in Evesham tomorrow.

Finished Will's woollen nappy wrap last night. Haven't lanolised it yet but put it on over his pul wrap today 'cos it looks so sweet and I wanted to show it off (very sad). Tbh they're more longies than a soaker so it was okay to wear them on top iykwim. My next project is to knit some bedsocks for my little sis's birthday. I hope she doesn't read this. Sorry hun for spoiling the surprise if you did. I have finally found my chargers so I will charge up my phone/camera and get some photos on here.

Toodle pip

Jo

Tax Nightmare

2009-01-31T10:46:00.000-08:00

Okay so I haven't earned any money this year, BUT I still have to fill in a self assessment tax form. And because I'm so useless (plus the fact that I have a six month old who never sleeps) I am doing it now, with hours to spare. Guess what? I can't log on. This is very annoying, especially because the helpline is experiencing unusually high levels of demand. Oh dear. Please pray/send positive vibes in the direction of my tax dealings; I sooooo don't want to owe the nasty tax people £100.

On a more positive note, I have given up the battle to not wean Will for another couple of weeks (he is now 24 weeks) and he has today happily munched upon banana and toast. I would have loved to wait until 26 weeks but he was screaming at us every mealtime and giving him a banana/slice of toast today resulted in one very happy baby. Now I'm just waiting for all the questions as to why we aren't pureeing/spoon-feeding. Oh the joys of being 'different'.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Jo

2009-01-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

8 Random Things about me
I was tagged by Mam and I don't quite know how to tag people but I will find out. Here are my 8 random things.

I love chintz. Everybody else hates it but I just adore anything flowery and girly. Sad but true.
My favourite storybook is Anne of Green Gables. I wish I was Anne and for many years used to dye my hair red because I wanted to be her so badly. Even sader than no. 1 I think.
When I was a little girl I used to holiday on my aunt and uncle's farm in Lincolnshire and I wanted to be a farmer's wife when I grew up.
I love Steiner Waldorf education. I am currently devouring every book I can on the subject.
I went to see A Winters Tale in London last year and ended up sat next to the gorgeous Kathy Burke.
I love the Queen. Please don't shoot me down.
My favourite food at the moment is guacamole.
I am currently knitting a woollen nappy wrap.

I am sorry I couldn't think of anything more interesting.

I am tagging

I don't really know anyone else; sorry.

1. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.5. For the recipients, leave a comment for the person who tagged you, so they can go and read your answers.

London

2009-01-21T13:33:00.001-08:00

Well, I haven't managed to upload any pics yet but I just wanted to announce my return to the land of blogging and share news of my lovely trip to London. We had a fab time. We went to The Tower of London, The Charles Dickens House Museum, The Museum of London and The London Transport Museum. We also saw the changing of the guards (very fabulous; never seen it before) and spent lots of time feeding the wildlife in St James' Park. As for our own dietary needs; we spent alot of time in Pizza Hut exchanging half price meal vouchers. We also found a fab Thai vegan restaurant which had a buffet deal for £6.50 per head. We are now well and truly stoney broke but it was well worth it.

I couldn't say that I enjoyed any one thing more than anything else, except to say that the Museum of London is fabulous and very un-touristy (also free which is always good). My boys liked the Transport Museum the best and had a fabulous time playing on Tube train simulators and pretending to drive London buses. The highlight for me, though, was son no. 1's affinity with the wildlife in St James' Park. He had the squirrels climbing on his lap and arms taking peanuts from him; of course, we had to go and feed them everyday and I am sure that this will now become a London tradition. It was lovely to see and he now says that he wants to be a zookeeper. To be honest it's a good job he doesn't want to be a historian as he was totally freaked by the actress in Roman dress who was roleplaying in the Museum of London; he thought she was a ghost or something, he was so convinced that she was a real Roman. Lol.

Glad to be back; pics to follow.

Jo

An idea from Jackie

2009-01-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

Oh dear, hope I've not alienated a load of people with my waffling.

London

2009-01-14T02:25:00.000-08:00

Well, thanks to some birthday money, Travelodge's £9 room offer and restaurant vouchers found through t'internet, we're off to London for 5 days tomorrow. Hence I won't be posting for a while. I've become kind of addicted to blogging so I shall really miss you guys. I'm sure I'll have lots to say when I return though.
Have a happy few days
Jo

2009-01-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd randomly post a picture of my newly made apple chutney. It's very spicy and tasty and is the first chutney I've ever made. It's sad but I feel so satisfied with it. I'm even more pleased with the lovely labels I made on t' 'puter as we say ooop North. Of course, it would be eminently more impressive if I could keep the house tidy. Sigh. Off to bury my head in some patchwork.

Some Progress

2009-01-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Well we are making some educational progress at last. Why now I hear you ask? Well, the long awaited Lego club magazine came today and was used as a springboard for some educational activities. We read the 'Power Miners' story for our literacy, including some very challenging vocab I might add, and used a few choice words for our minimal approach to copywork. Then, we completed our Friday challenge from The Woodland Trust and decorated our dining room window with snowflakes and paper snowmen. And to top it all off we made a gnome boot keeper from a dolly peg and some felt; the latter task even included sewing. I explained the Maths questions and ds answered whilst I wrote the answers. It was all very peaceful and lovely. Even ds2 got involved with the snowflake crafts to earn his Snowman sticker. I feel quite overwhelmed. I am going to find the magazine now and plan some stuff for tomorrow. A curriculum based on a Lego magazine. Hmmmm, now there's an idea for you.
Jo

Digging Mark Two

2009-01-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

Had another lovely couple of hours digging at Sunnyside acre today. Thank you Wendy. Ds1 aged 7 even had a go, entirely of his own volition. I am hoping that this will continue to improve and we will make a farmer of him yet. Tomorrow the dentist. Eek.
Jo

Red ceiling day

2009-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Today we did science. I didn't intend to do science but that's how it turned out. We started by making bread, then ('cos of the yeast reacting with sugar etc) they wanted to make a volcano and play with the model heart they got for Christmas. Cue disaster. Both would be much more realistic with a bit of red food colouring I thought. Hmmm,... maybe not such a good idea. It would have been alright if mother hadn't been so impatient and decided to give the volcano a bit of a shake to speed up the reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar (with red food colouring of course). The result was an explosion of massive proportions (well quite big anyway) and red food colouring all over my previously white ceiling. We all screamed and fell about laughing on the floor. Even daddy was impressed with my prowess with explosives. Haven't told him he'll have to paint the ceiling yet, though. Lol!!

I also did some planning today so that I can get the boys down to work a bit more quickly on a morning. I am still struggling massively with ds2 who is a total fidget bot and won't really do anything constructive for more than a few minutes at a time, which would be okay but ds1 is not really a very good independent worker - he only needs a minute where you're not focussing on him 100% and he is drawing Star Wars illustrations in his workbook, rather than completing the task set. And if I leave ds2 to his own devices I get something which would give even Kim and Aggie nightmares. What to do. I keep threatening nursery but I couldn't really do it to him. I can imagine that we'd be up at the school every evening with him in heaps of trouble just for being 'exhuberant'. It would totally squash him as it did ds1 and I just can't face that - not even for a tidy house. Any tips on child training gratefully received, as long as they don't involve school of course.

Jo

Epiphany Undone

2009-01-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

Well I don't know whether it was tiredness, awkwardness or the fact that Wills had his affectionately titled jibby jabbies today, but my beautiful crescendo to the Christmas season collapsed in a heap at the bottom of the Christmas tree along with my hypo children. We did manage to spend some craft time making wise men to accompany our nativity. We sang We Three Kings (the silly AND not so silly versions both) and we had a special family meal, topped off with King cake. But all this was punctuated by major silliness, fighting and Mummy shouting. I am trying not to be too hard on myself, or too disappointed. I worry, though, that what they will remember about today is my shrieking at ds2 (3) for playing rugby with some baby bottles waiting by the door to be Freecycled, or our brief discussion at the dinner table that we too need to seek Christ, not on camels or following stars, but in our hearts. I get it wrong so many times. Thank goodness for grace and the promise of sanctification.

I am very sad to see Christmas end; it is my most favourite time of the year. Even ds1, a sensitive soul, aged 7, said today: I will miss Christmas; it's such a joyful time Mummy, I wish it didn't have to end. Of course life has to be punctuated with sorrow, or even mundanity, but keeping that joy alive, bringing it into our every day life is, to me, what home schooling is all about. I just need to try to do it in his strength and not mine.

Blessings

Digging

2009-01-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

Today I was digging compost with my lovely friend Wendy at her smallholding. It had snowed and the fresh air, crisp blue skies and hard work was pure balm for the soul. My children, however, got rather wet playing snowball fights and then complained that they were cold and wanted to return indoors. I really want to make outdoor types of these boys. I walk them alot but obviously not enough. They need toughening up. It's a good job Wendy's invited us back every Monday to work on her smallholding. I can't wait. Not sure the boys feel the same though. Oh well....

Epiphay tomorrow. Cue special dinner with Kings cake, reading Baboushka and abridged version of Twelfth Night, Kings arriving at the nativity and taking down the decorations whilst watching our last Christmas movie of the season, not sure what yet. I will miss Christmas but there are the delights of spring to look forward to,... and lots of digging.

Christmas Photos

2009-01-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Domesticity

2009-01-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

We are finally getting somewhere with sorting the house out, though it's still pretty sty-ish upstairs (not much tidying / cleaning has happened in the last five months - can't think why) . Despite being busy with tidying, i've also managed to learn to crochet recently, and have stated on a blanket for my bedroom in pretty pastel shades. I also made some jam yesterday from leftover Christmas cranberries; my first ever home made jam!!!!! I am feeling very Ma Walton-ish. Lol! Found a lovely haberdashery on our local market so am very happy with myself. Of course, the bubble will burst tomorrow with the start of the new HE term. Eek!!!

gone

Christmas and New Year

2009-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. Our Christmas was fine. It was not of my own choosing, being at a relative's house, but was nevertheless very enjoyable and I was most grateful for a spot of relaxation while someone else did the cooking. The boys received rather less presents than in previous years but still seemed to have too much. We attended a different church than usual with being away, and although I missed wishing my dearest friends 'Merry Christmas' I was blessed by the minister's illustration of a 'real' Christmas tree, which consisted of two planks of wood set into a bucket in the shape of a cross, decorated with blood red tinsel and a precious gift nailed to it. It was very profound and made me very aware that we were celebrating the birth of a baby destined to die; it directed my thoughts to that hill on Calvary and made me all the more grateful for Christmas.

Today is New Year's Day. We had a late brunch of veggie sausages, beans, fried tomatoes and bread and butter. Not very healthy but just what we needed after staying up 'til midnight with friends last night. We then dusted off our wellies and headed to Crome Park in Pershore for a spot of walking. It was beautiful, being adorned with a frosting of silver. The lake was mostly frozen over and the boys enjoyed throwing stones and sticks onto the surface and seeing how far they could skim them. Hot chocolate and shortbread in the cafe afterwards were a welcome treat.

I've been reading other people's blogs about their aims and resolutions for next year, which has got me pondering. And pondering has left me with the following conclusions:

I want to be more organised, particularly in the way of home management. Last year we went out to so many home ed meetings that the housework totally went by the wayside and we are now reaping the consequences of a terribly untidy house.

I want my life to be more home based, although I am rather worried about the cost to the boys in terms of lack of socialisation.

I want to focus our education on the rhythm of the year, the seasons, festivals and church calendar. I've ordered this book from Amazon to help me http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0899424945 .

I want to improve G's handwriting and grammar by giving him purposeful reasons to write.

I want to try to improve both boys' obedience (not great at present) in a gentle encouraging manner.

I'd like ds2 to begin to engage in more sitting at the table activities.

I want to be more consistent in my Bble and prayer times.

I want to sew, knit, crochet, embroider and papercraft more.

I'm sure I'll think of more but for now I have a very cranky 5 month old to feed.

The National Trust do it again

2008-12-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Anyone will tell you that I'm a big fan of the NT. I love it. I mean you pay your £85 each year and then you don't have to pay for another family day out for the whole annum. Wow, that is good value; it cost dh over that amount to take the boys to Legoland for one visit. We are even at the point now where we book our holidays by looking at the NT map. On a recent mini break to Wales we managed to visit a different National Trust property for four days running. And each of them was completely unique and had different things to attract and engage the children. So, yes, I do think rather highly of the old NT.

Well today the NT has gone up a notch even in my estimation. Why? Santa. In Birmingham city centre today, people were queuing for two hours to see the big man in red. Last year it cost £3.50 for a cheapie plastic toy and then extra for a photo. I know, I was one of the poor suckers who paid - yes, even for the photo. Santa wasn't even particularly warm, and you were in and out in less than 2 minutes; a Christmas conveyor belt, if you like. So this year, having reduced funds yet still wanting some of that Christmas magic for the boys (even if they know it's all a rather wonderful game) I opted for the National Trust version.

I don't know what I expected. For £2 per child, which was the cost, I don't think I really expected very much at all. How wrong could I be. Of course, if we'd been non-members it would have cost much more but as fully paid up chaps and chapesses we got into the property for free and just had to hand over the princely sum of £4 for our two bigger boys to see St Nick. This is what we got:

We saw the deer being fed in the deer park. This was wonderful. They came bounding over the ridge of the hill, following a tractor which intermittently dispersed food. It was like being on the Serengetti plain - except much colder I suspect.

A free Christmas trail around the beautiful festivally adorned house, including lots of Christmas information bulletins - very educational.

A free performance of Carols by a childrens choir in period costume.

A visit to Santa. We queued for about 20 minutes before entering through a fur coat laden wardrobe (very Narnia) into Santa's grotto. He was a fantastic Santa. Very warm and engaging. He asked the children lots of questions and seemed genuinely interested in them.

A free photo opportunity with SC.

A lovely selection of small wooden toys to choose from.

It was great. Totally uncommercial and fantastic value. I feel a Christmas tradition coming on. Long live the National Trust.

Photos

2008-12-18T14:38:00.001-08:00

London

2008-12-18T02:27:00.000-08:00

Hello. Back from London, which was lovely as usual. Loved perusing the shop windows on Oxford Street and seeing Selfriges' big red guy in a bumper car - very amusing. Spent a grand total of £7 - had to buy William a new hat since he lost his en route. £7 for a baby hat!!!!! And that was the cheapest. They had baby socks for £20. How the other half live, eh?! Carols in Trafalgar Square were wonderful. And we had a lovely meal in Bella Italia courtesy of some gift vouchers and 20% off from our family railcard - the meal cost £1.40. We are such cheapskates, you know. Will post more and add photos - finally - some time soon. Unfortunately the baby is crying so I must go and sort him out.
Jo

The Zack

2008-12-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

Despite my wanting to play down Santa and focus more on the nativity this year, my middlest is totally obsessed by the big man in red. He has taken to slinging the Thomas Tank bean bag over his shoulder and assuming the role of SC. 'I am Santa and this is my Zack. It is full of sweets and presents and a Christmas tree; possibly it is red.' The zack is now a beloved family icon, symbolising the childish fun and innocence of a three year old's Christmas. Of course I want him to focus his mind on Jesus as we approach Christmas, but I cannot squash such wonderful imagination. I'd quite like a zack myself tbh.

A good day

2008-12-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

A great day today. We made Christmas cards, some rather excellent Joseph dream coats for our Jesse tree and a fabulous prayer chain out of old Christmas cards. We watched The Grinch, sang carols, ate some rather fabulous Spiced Parsnip and Pear soup and made a spiced house cake ready to decorate tomorrow. I washed some clothes and nappies and managed a sinkful of washing up. However, the house is still a mess and Edward has peeled wallpaper off in the hallway. Somehow, despite his many ways of driving me absolutely crazy, I can never be mad with him. He's just too cute!
Jo
Will upload photos soon.

Portsmouth and the Mary Rose

2008-12-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely time yesterday visiting the Mary Rose and both HMS Victory and Warrior. Going to see the rescued hull of the MR was awesome. To think that she had been the warship of Henry VIII and had lain underwater for hundreds of years. Even my boisterous boys were awestruck. They listened to their audio guides perfectly and seemed totally captivated. The museum was very interesting too, with all the artifacts that had been found on board. We also enjoyed Victory, with its tales of Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. But by the time we got to see Warrior we were a tired bunch who were all warshipped out, so we probably didn't do it justice. Would definitely go back, but next time for a weekend as there was just so much to see. We think we'd like to go back in 2011 when the new Mary Rose museum opens. Hope Travelodge has some £9 room rates then. Lol.
One wierd thing, though; my eldest thinks that Horatio Nelson looks like Adolf Hitler????????????
Jo
Now trying to catch up with the Jesse Tree and Jotham's Journey from when we were away.

Friday Feeling

2008-12-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

Today I had to edit the church magazine so the boys had a day in church, playing with the girls from the ministerial family. Mag is now published. Hurrah. We are now packing up to go off to Portsmouth to visit the Mary Rose as part of our Tudor project. Will report back with pictures and details when we return. Have a great weekend everyone.
Jo

Ice Skating

2008-12-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

My boys went ice skating today and my little one managed to skate on his own without help. How very exciting; I was very proud. We also had a little Christmas party with food. And the guys there are such a lovely bunch of people.

Well, dinner will not prepare itself.

Jo x

The Middlest Wrote his Name

2008-12-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

Wow !!!! My middle son aged 3 wrote his name today. I am sooooooooooo proud. He was making some letter type markings and said he was writing his name so I wrote it down for him and said I was writing his name too. And he copied it!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have any intention of teaching him to read/write for quite some time so I am flabberghasted. And very pleased.

Moments like this make home schooling worthwhile.

2008-12-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

We are trying to have a mass Lego tidy in ds1's bedroom but it is not going so well. Ds 2 keeps interfering and the baby has hurricane force wind and won't be put down. Work went well this morning. We finished off painting the photo frames to give to rellies as gifts. We read the Grinch. We read about the angel's visit to Mary and conceived appropriate artistic decorations. We made a lovely globe out of a paper plate to decorate our Jesse tree. We have visitors at 5pm and the house is a mess. But baby is still whingy. What to do?!

2008-12-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

Today was the day that we ventured out into our local park to find branches for our Jesse tree. Actually we should've done it on Saturday but you know what it is when life takes over. I am very pleased with the result and will post pictures as the decorations begin to take shape. In the meantime, please enjoy these pics of the boys on their Jesse tree walk.
Devotions were better today. We read the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah from Luke and then day two of Jotham's Journey. They actually listened both times. We didn't do any other formal work due to the mammoth task of walking around the lake to collect branches. It was beautiful but freezing cold and Edward moved at a speed rather less than a snail's pace. It took most of the morning. We then had lunch at a friend's and did some shopping on the way home.My Christmas gift making plans are way behind. Heeeelllllp!!Jo

Advent is here at last.

2008-11-30T16:47:00.000-08:00

Yay hay. We finally got to light our first advent candle and read the first chapter of Jotham's Journey. The boys listened in a reasonably acceptable manner anf G lit the candle without sustaining any burns. And then it was time to decorate the tree. Ds 1 was a little more attentive in his efforts but ds2 put two decorations on and then ran off to play. The baby cried alot. I a sorely disappointed. All my ideas of making wonderful, meaningful Christmas memories are falling by the wayside. I hope for better tomorrow, when we will search out a branch for our Jesse tree. I will keep you posted.
Jo

2008-10-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Not a good day today. Went to a Christian home ed meeting with the boys and they literally bounced off the walls. Feeling rather ineffective as a parent. Why does life have to be so complicated? And why do other people's children always seem so perfect? One very lovely mum complained to me about the lack of behavioural standards at a secular home ed group. Bet she enjoyed spending time with my guys!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like a terrible Christian; surely if I were half decent my kids would be of the cherub faced, hymn singing, craft enthusing, sitting nicely brigade. Instead, after being chastened for some high up, danger of falling shannanigans, my middlest proudly announced that actually mummy it didn't matter 'cos he is Superman and if he fell he would just fly back up. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Not just cheeky but worldly too; excommunicate us now!

Hello and welcome.

2008-10-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say hello to all you people out there who are probably not going to read this. The purpose of this blog is to keep in touch with rellies, reflect on the meaningfulness or otherwiseness of my life and doings, and gaze at my navel. Or something. Enjoy.

P.S. Just thought I'd add a nice pic of my eldest and youngest just for pretty.